You may be asking yourself, is the Mill Premium software package the right package for you? Actually, Dennis from Adam’s Custom Rifles was thinking the same thing when he was considering upgrading to BobCAD’S V30 Mill Premium software.

As a long time machinist and BobCAD-CAM programmer, Dennis specializes in building Tactical, Varmint and Big Game rifles. He is no stranger to CAD-CAM or the challenges presented while programming simple and complex geometry.
BobCAD’s Mill Premium software boasts offering more control and additional Toolpath options, but what does that really mean for you? Like most BobCAD customers, upgrading or adding on products comes down to 2 main points… How much does it cost and what will it do for me?

Dennis had what seemed like a simple cavity and soon ran into issues with the surface finish. “Trying to get the software to do what I want is my biggest challenge,” he said. For some users, this comes down to training, other times, it’s about having the right software options. With Dennis, it was a little of both.

Dennis said, “Many of my parts I’ve had NC files for years.” Running the same jobs is easy, programming new jobs present opportunities to learn.

Like in this barrel channel.
As a Mill Professional users, Dennis felt he had all the Toolpath options he needed when he took on his new programming project. Unlike the bolt fluting or radial brakes, Dennis programs regularly with BobCAD, this project being a 3D cavity. “Roughing the cavity was easy, it’s the finishing I wanted to change.”

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In order to get the best finish and cycle time, Dennis wanted the Toolpath to work from the outside in. Using Equidistant Offset, users have the option to change the cutting direction with sorting control.
Now, Dennis was able to get the cutting direction right, but the tool motion was still a little off. Because of the offset pattern, the tool was changing direction while in the cavity, which was undesirable for this project. Right at the time Dennis was left asking himself, “What do I do now?”, he received an email from BobCAD promoting the new Mill Premium software. The email talked about getting more control of your Toolpath, which is just what Dennis needed. So, he called his account manager to find out more information. That was the day Dennis became a Mill Premium user and is now so happy that he did.
Using Morph Between 2 Surface, Dennis was able to create the exact Toolpath motion he wanted, giving him a superior finish on this barrel channel. Not only did this new Toolpath reduce his cycle time, it also improved his finish. This made him very happy, reinforcing his decision to become a Mill Premium user, knowing he made the right choice.

Watch this video to learn about the workflow Dennis used for machining his barrel channel.

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Usually, I find the software is only limited to one's imagination and figuring out how do I go about drawing what’s in my head and turn into a real part. It’s been my pleasure being a part of BobCAD’s evolution for so many years - Gene Baker, Roscoe/b3 Guitars